This is big—really, really big: I got to design the SweetGeorgia Yarns Mystery Knit-Along!
SweetGeorgia has been holding an annual summer mystery knit-along for the past several years; this year they’ve assigned the pattern design to me as part of my Designer in Residence duties. Yes, this is one of the secret things I’ve been alluding to recently. Technically it’s still secret (mystery…go figure) but at least I get to holler about something, right? From the pattern description, written by my fabulous supervisor Tabetha Hedrick:
Sunrise at the edge of the habour, with foamy waves lulling us into meditation, is an inspiration of light, sound, and colour. Rippling water dazzles with prismatic hues and the horizon is illuminating with long striations of sea-touched clouds. Every minute seems to reveal a new sense of wonder and we are called to push off from the docks into the world of adventure and discovery. Speaking of revelations and being called, it’s time for another SweetGeorgia Mystery Knit-Along (MKAL)! We’re excited that our Designer in Residence, Ruth Nguyen, is the creative mind behind the pattern this year!
As you can see from the banner above, the mystery knit-along project is a shawl. It’s a large, three-color fingering weight shawl featuring lace and slipped stitch colorwork; it also uses some fun techniques that will have video tutorials to go with them. I’m particularly excited about the teaching component of this event; I’m a real nerd for knitting tricks that help us level up our projects, and I can’t wait to talk about some of them!
The MKAL officially starts August 24. Until then, you can get the pattern on Ravelry or directly from SweetGeorgia for a special early bird price of $5.25 USD as opposed to $6.50 USD starting on August 24. When you pre-order the pattern, you’ll get a special planning pdf with swatching information, dates, links, and color suggestions all in one handy place.
And speaking of color suggestions, SweetGeorgia has assembled some incredible kits with pre-selected colors for this pattern! (Pattern must be purchased separately.) Each kit contains one skein of SweetGeorgia Cashluxe Spark (it’s the prettiest sparkle yarn ever) and two skeins of SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock in contrasting colors. I used the Charlottetown set (purples) for my sample, but it was a hard call to make—all of them are stunning! You can see all six sets here.
Of course, assembling your own color combinations is welcome and encouraged—I’d still recommend checking out the pre-selected kits, though. Not only are they inspiring, but they’ll give you an idea of the light/dark ratio and dye effects that work well with this pattern. And if you need help picking out your colors, I’ll be available in the chat thread to answer any questions you might have (more on that below).
That’s the gist of the mystery part; the knit-along part will be happening on the School of SweetGeorgia Community Forums; there’s a direct link in the pre-order packet. Signing up for a free account will get you access to the Quiet Bay MKAL discussion group. SweetGeorgia has built up a lively community of positive, encouraging crafters over there; it’s a great place to hang out, discuss yarn & fiber crafts, learn, and get advice even if there’s no event running.
The MKAL will run over the course of 5 weeks, with a new portion of the shawl instructions being revealed every week. Here are the Clue drop dates:
- Clue 1: Aug 24
- Clue 2: Aug 31
- Clue 3: Sept 7
- Clue 4: Sept 14
- Clue 5: Sept 21
You’ll get the updates automatically once you’ve purchased the pattern.
I think that’s everything I needed to share for now! There are more details laid out in this blog post from SweetGeorgia. I’m excited to hear your thoughts on this—are you a fan of mystery knit-alongs? Or have you never done one before? Which of the color sets is your favorite? Do you have stash colors that you’d like to use? Or do you have any questions? Drop them in the comments for me; unless it’s something secret, I’m available to answer.
The SweetGeorgia team puts a massive amount of work and love into this event; it’s the biggest knitting production I’ve ever been a part of. I’m thrilled to be involved in bringing it to you—let me know if you’re going to join up! I can’t wait to knit along with you!
